The Ohio Department of Health says it tracked an increase in the vaccination rate since the creation of the $1 million sweepstakes.
The state had seen a slowdown in the rate of people getting vaccinated in April and May, prompting Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) to announce the "Ohio Vax-A-Million"sweepstakes to incentivize people to get the shot.
The Ohio Department of Health says it saw a 28% increase in people ages 16 and older getting the COVID-19 vaccine the weekend after the drawing was announced, from May 14 to May 17. That's compared to the previous weekend which saw a 25% drop in vaccinations from April 30 to May 3 numbers.
Since the announcement of a lottery, the overall number of vaccinations has also increased by more than 141,000 people. However, that's also when the state broadened eligibility for people ages 12 to 15.
There are critics of the lottery who say the $5 million in total prizes is a misuse of taxpayer dollars.
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